The seven Board of Education members also signed the document in opposition to any state legislation allowing vouchers or education savings accounts for private education. The elected school officials represent a district serving 46,772 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade.

State Sen. Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro, however, said she backs any potential legislation similar to a law passed a few years ago permitting education savings accounts for special education students.

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Rutherford County and Murfreesboro school officials want more funding to support public education. They oppose any Tennessee General Assembly legislation that would allow state tax dollars to be spent on vouchers or education savings accounts that can be used for students seeking private education. The Rutherford County Board of Education expressed this view by approving a resolution Thursday night, Feb. 14, 2019.(Photo: HELEN COMER/DNJ)

"I voted for it because I’m a parent choice advocate," said White, a former seven-year kindergarten teacher at Murfreesboro City Schools' Black Fox Elementary. "I think parents need as much choice and input in their child’s education as possible. As a former teacher, I know Murfreesboro and Rutherford County have wonderful schools, but I also know if parents have more choice and more input then they are more invested in their children’s education."

White said the education savings account law for special education students also provided funding for public schools to help cover the costs of planning for students who transferred to private schools.

City school officials back resolution

Murfreesboro City School Board members also will be signing the resolution to oppose vouchers and education savings accounts for private schools, Chairman Butch Campbell said Friday.

The seven-member City School board serves a prekindergarten- through sixth-grade district with 8,989 students.

"I think a voucher simply takes money away from the public sector of education and puts it in the hands of private schools," Campbell said. "I’m not against private schools, but I am against using public tax dollars for tuition for private schools."

Public schools educate everyone

Prior to the vote by the county school officials, board member Lisa Moore suggested a joint meeting also should be held with the County Commission and the lawmakers representing Rutherford. School officials then would explain how badly vouchers or education savings accounts for private education "can hurt us," she said.

"We need to have an opportunity to showcase our position," Moore said.

Fellow county school board member Jeff Jordan said private schools are not obligated to educate all children.

"These children will be no better off," Jordan said. "It is our honor as an education system to educate everyone."

Regardless if children are in wheelchairs or are blind or have other disabilities, "we're going to take care of them," Jordan said.

Out-of-state companies want vouchers

The resolution prepared by county school board attorney Jeff Reed suggests that state-funded vouchers or education savings accounts "will result in a need for an increase in taxes to replace the funds going to private individuals and entities."

"A loss of tax dollars will reduce funding available for academic programs and teaching staff at public schools," the resolution says. "Vouchers and education savings accounts hurt the free public education system, divert limited state education dollars to private interests, (and) have been shown to hurt progress of students."

The resolution says that many out-of-state companies and organizations are lobbying lawmakers to approve vouchers or education savings accounts.

"The public education system of Tennessee is best managed by Tennesseans for which it serves and not by out-of-state companies and organizations," the resolution says. "Rutherford County and city of Murfreesboro school systems have been recognized as exemplary school systems in the state of Tennessee."